Researchers in Gabon and Congo have found the source of the ebola virus: three species of fruit bat. The ebola microbe, which is deadly to humans and other apes, is harmless to the bats. Fruit bats are commonly eaten by humans in Africa, and researchers say this is probably how outbreaks occur.
Dr. Sanford Kuvin, head of tropical infectious diseases at Israel's Hebrew University, said the study provided strong evidence of Ebola's presence in bats and should prompt people in the region to "avoid contact with the creatures at all costs."
